Cynghanedd

In Welsh-languagepoetry, cynghanedd (Welsh pronunciation:, literally "concinnity" or "harmony") is the concept of sound-arrangement within one line, using stress, alliteration and rhyme. The various forms of cynghanedd are used in all formal Welsh verse forms, such as the cywydd, awdl and englyn. Cynghanedd developed gradually over the period 1100–1350; by the middle of the 14th century it had developed into a fixed system with four recognised types: cynghanedd groes, cynghanedd draws, cynghanedd sain, and cynghanedd lusg. The system of strict cynghanedd (y gynghanedd gaeth) is particularly associated with the cywydd poets of the period c. 1330–1640. From the 15th century onwards it became a requirement for serious poetry that virtually every line should have one or other of the four types of cynghanedd.

Though of ancient origin, cynghanedd and variations of it are still used today by many Welsh-language poets. A number of poets have experimented with using cynghanedd in English-language verse, for instance Gerard Manley Hopkins. Some of Dylan Thomas's work is also influenced by cynghanedd.